We are often asked how often you should "work out" as a soccer player, or if you should "hit the gym" or lift weights. The answer isn't as simple as X times per week, or "yes". There are many ways to train the physical part of your game that are specific to the sport.
To be a great soccer player, you need to train your skills, mind, and body to be able to perform at a high level. The Techne App is heavily focused on technical skills – how you receive, change direction with, and kick the ball. In order to make your technical skills even more effective, you need to do physical training to be able to move better, more quickly, stay moving longer, and help reduce the risk of injury as you play. Physical training encompasses everything from dynamic stretching to agility work, sprinting, endurance, strength training, recovery, and much more.
Many aspects of physical preparation can be achieved simply through playing soccer. Especially for younger players, all time training should be spent with the ball and/or with teammates or friends playing the game. At around age 12-14, it will become necessary for players to supplement their training with the soccer ball to include aspects of soccer-specific physical training. All sports require different physical skills and capabilities, so it’s very important that the physical training a player does is soccer-specific.
What does soccer-specific physical training mean?
The game of soccer is very multidimensional. Players move in various ways at various speeds and very rarely run in a straight line for more than 20 yards. The game is full of starts and stops, changes of direction, explosive movements, and single-leg movements. For that reason, it’s very important that players’ physical preparation reflects the type of movements they are required to perform in game situations. Training with things like running long distances at a consistent pace or doing heavy, stationary weight lifting are not soccer-specific. Single leg movements, hopping, cutting, and repeated sprinting with minimal rest are examples of soccer-specific exercises.
Types of physical training to add to your training plan
Speed and agility
What is it?
Training the ability to move quickly and change direction.
What kinds of exercises do you do for this?
This type of training includes sprinting and cutting drills.
If I want to get faster, what should I do?
Train your speed and agility after a thorough warmup but while you are still fresh. To improve your speed you need to practice moving all out at least 2-3 times a week!
Plyometrics
What is it?
Jump and explosiveness training.
What kinds of exercises do you do for this?
Jumping, single leg hopping, bounding.
If I want to get more explosive, what should I do?
Jump, and jump often. Consider adding daily jumping and hopping into your training routine. You don’t need to do a whole training session on just plyometrics. Instead, it can be added before, during, or after other workouts.
Mobility
What is it?
Improving your ability to move well and easily.
What kinds of exercises do you do for this?
This includes not only static stretching but dynamic movement exercises.
If I want to get more mobile, what should I do?
Begin and end all training sessions with 5-10 minutes of mobility work. Many of the Physical Training sessions in the Techne App start with a mobility-focused warmup and include mobility exercises throughout.
Strength training
What is it?
Increasing the ability to withstand force, pressure, or resistance.
What kinds of exercises do you do for this?
Strength training is most commonly thought of as “lifting weights” but the Techne App offers many bodyweight only workouts you can do right at home.
If I want to get stronger, what should I do?
Strength can only be improved by challenging the body. Consider adding a strength training routine to your weekly training 2-3 times a week.
Conditioning
What is it?
Preparing the body by improving endurance and stamina so you can play longer and more intensely.
What kinds of exercises do you do for this?
Most conditioning is done as running in intervals with minimal rest. Conditioning can also be achieved through playing.
If I want to get fitter, what should I do?
Work to the point of fatigue, and then keep going. Improving your conditioning can feel very difficult because it’s all about hard work. Maintain a high overall volume of training and also add in high-intensity running at least 3 times a week. Working on extra conditioning is best done at the end of other types of training, so you aren’t fatigued while working on technique.
Recovery
What is it?
Allowing the body to return to a rested state after intense training or playing.
What kinds of exercises do you do for this?
Recovery doesn’t necessarily just mean resting. The Techne App offers active recovery sessions.
If I want to recover, what should I do?
Plan recovery time. Whether it’s a lot of sleep, rehydration, and proper nutrition or specific recovery workouts, all of it should be intentional. After a game or intense training session(s), it’s important to think about recovery before having to push your body again.
How much time should you spend on physical training?
There are only so many hours in a week to train to become a great soccer player. And every athlete is different in terms of their needs, depending on their natural physical makeup, if they’re in or out of season, their age, and their level of play. A good rule of thumb is to spend at least 30 minutes 3 times a week focused on physical training. Many times it can be combined with other types of training. For example, you can add some plyometric and speed and agility work into your training session right after your warmup. You can do 10-15 minutes of conditioning at the end of a technical session. And you can include mobility exercises in your cool down and on a recovery day.
So... How much should you be training?
It can feel overwhelming to try to fit everything in, so a good approach is to pick a seasonal focus. For example, if you have a lot of games, you need to do very little conditioning and may not do much strength training, but you’ll do more speed and agility and recovery work. In the offseason, you may focus on strength training and conditioning. If your goal is to get faster, you’ll want to build strength and do plyometrics in addition to speed training. Work to identify your personal improvement goals and use those to prioritize.
Physical training can be challenging. But it can make the game even more enjoyable when you feel good while moving, are able to execute the skills you’ve practiced, and can play and train hard while avoiding injury. Your physical skills are what allow your technical skills and knowledge of the game to shine.
